Insulation system for building structures

ABSTRACT

A finishing system has lineal adaptors which are used with primary lineals where the primary lineals are fixed to a building structure to create primary insulation cavities. Insulation panels are positioned within the primary insulation cavities and the lineal adaptors are added to the primary lineals to create secondary insulation cavities. Finish insulation panels are positioned within the secondary insulation cavities and trim pieces are added to the lineal adaptors.

TECHNICAL FIELD AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention relates generally to a mounting system forbuilding structures and, more particularly, to an insulation system inwhich a vapor retarder is positioned between insulative layers. Thepresent invention has industrial applicability in the insulating andfinishing of rooms, especially otherwise unfinished rooms such asbasements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has been common for homeowners to buy a home with unfinished rooms,such as basements, and then later to finish such rooms when thehomeowner has more money, or as the homeowner's family grows. It is alsobecoming more common for homeowners to specify that they want suchhistorically unfinished rooms as basements in new houses finished at thetime the houses are built. Builders are often reluctant to finish thebasements of new residential constructions, however, because there isalways a greater level of uncertainty during the several years of a newconstruction's life as to whether foundation cracks or other problemswill arise, and the existence of a finished basement generally makesrepair of such defects more costly for the builder.

As used herein, the terms “finish”, “finishing” and “finished” refer tothe process of installing, and a room that has, a wall or ceilingsurface that would normally be considered acceptable for use in suchregularly inhabited rooms as bedrooms and family rooms. Examples of suchacceptable wall surfaces include drywall, plaster, fabric, and wood orother paneling. A drywall or drop ceiling and a floor treatment such astiling, carpeting or hardwood flooring would normally also be installedat the same time as the above-indicated wall surface, but theseinstallations are not specifically required within the meaning of theterms “finish”, “finishing” and “finished” as used herein.

One example of a common method of finishing a room in an attractive andinsulative manner, such as a residential basement room having a cinderblock wall, involves the attachment of wood studs roughly every 16 to 24inches to the cinder block wall and the attachment of a wall surfacesuch as drywall or paneling to the wood studs by attachment means suchas nails or screws. Generally, insulation such as glass fiber insulationbatts are placed between the wall and the wall surface before attachmentof the wall surface to the wood studs, or a granular or loose-fillfibrous insulation is poured or blown in to the spaces between the walland the wall surface after the wall surface is attached to the woodstuds.

This method has certain drawbacks, however. Such a method is generallyperformed by a contractor at the time the room is built, or later by acontractor or a homeowner when the homeowner desires to finish the room.Often, the most expensive part of a contractor's cost structure islabor. Thus, the above method, which is relatively time consuming toperform, is costly for the contractor and the homeowner. Further, when ahomeowner finishes a room such as a basement, i.e., in a do-it-yourselfproject, the homeowner often has limited experience, and generallydesires to spend as little as possible in materials and time to completethe project. The above method thus has the disadvantage that it requiresa certain level of sophistication and ability with respect to buildingtechniques. This disadvantage can tend to dissuade the homeowners fromundertaking the finishing of a room such as a basement.

Another common finishing method is to attach panels on the walls whichproduces a finished wall structure that is relatively non-modular. Inmany situations, it is very difficult to remove and then replace a wallpanel in an aesthetically acceptable manner. Such modularity can bedesirable to check for moisture behind the panel (especially in a newhome), or to replace the panel with another panel such as a decorativepanel or a mirror. Another disadvantage is that it often results in arelatively hard, dense panel such as drywall exposed to the room. Suchpanel often is relatively reflective of acoustic energy at a widemidrange of frequencies, and the structure can thus have less desirableacoustics. Such panel also can be less desirable than softer, moreresilient panels in areas such as playrooms where young children playand may often run into the walls.

Recently developed insulation systems by the assignee herein, OwensCorning, are described in the Weir et al. U.S. Pub. No. 2004/0219853 A1for a “Room Finishing System”, and the Hettler et al. US Pub. No.2005/0150183 A1 for an “Insulation System with Variable Position VaporBarrier” which are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is useful with a finishing system for buildingstructures such as walls and ceilings which require thermal insulation.

In one aspect, the present invention includes a finishing system havinglineals which are fixed to a building structure and which create primaryinsulation cavities. Primary insulation panels are positioned within theprimary insulation cavities. Lineal adaptors are added to the lineals tocreate secondary insulation cavities. Finish insulation panels arepositioned within the secondary insulation cavities. In certainembodiments, the lineal adaptor is removable so that the lineal adaptoris releasably connected to the lineal.

Also, in certain embodiments, a vapor retarder is inserted between theprimary insulation panels and the finish insulation panels. The linealadaptors thereby removably secure the vapor retarder against the primaryinsulation panels. In many finishing systems, trim pieces are added tothe lineal adaptors to hold the finish insulation panels in thesecondary insulation cavities.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to lineal adaptors forconnecting a lineal to a trim piece in an insulation system. The linealadaptor has an adaptor base plate with retaining flanges. Engagingmembers extend from a top side of the adaptor base plate for securingthe trim piece to the lineal adaptor. An adaptor connector memberextends from a bottom side of the adaptor base plate for securing thelineal adaptor to the lineal.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to a method forfinishing a building structure where primary lineals are attached to thebuilding structure to create insulation cavities. Primary insulationpanels are positioned within the primary insulation cavities and linealadapters are added to the primary lineals to create secondary insulationcavities. Finish insulation panels are positioned within secondaryinsulation cavities. In certain embodiments, the vapor retarder is heldbetween the primary insulation panel and the finish insulation panel bythe lineal adaptor.

The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of theinvention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of thedetailed description that follows, in conjunction with the accompanyingsheets of drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that thedrawings are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed asdefining the limits of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective illustration of a finishing system, partiallybroken away.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a lineal adaptor, a lineal, and atrim piece for a finishing system.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which the invention belongs. Although any methods andmaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used inthe practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methodsand materials are described herein. It is to be noted that like numbersfound throughout the figures refer to like elements.

In one aspect, the present invention is especially useful use inbasements of residential buildings. The insulation system is readilyinstalled onto pre-existing building structures such as walls andceilings.

With reference to FIG. 1, a finishing 10 according to the presentinvention is shown installed on a building structure 12. For ease ofexplanation herein the building structure 12 will be generally referredto as a wall 12; however, it is to be understood that it is within thecontemplated scope of the present invention that the building structurescan include ceilings and other building structures. The wall 12 may beany type that one might desire to finish, either in a residential or acommercial building. The room may include more than one wall and mayalso include a floor (not shown) and a ceiling (not shown). The wall 12may have windows and doors therein, (not shown).

The finishing system 10 includes a plurality of primary lineals 20 and aplurality of lineal adaptors 30. When installed on the wall 12, theprimary lineals 20 create insulation cavities 16, as shown in FIG. 3.Likewise, when installed, the lineal adaptors 30 create secondaryinsulation cavities 18, also shown in FIG. 3.

The primary lineals 20 and the lineal adaptors 30 are preferablycomposed of a plastic material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene,polyvinyl chloride, or polystyrene, with a preferred plastic beingpolyvinyl chloride, or could be composed of a metal material. A plasticis generally preferred over a metal to reduce the rate of heatconduction through the primary lineals 20 and the lineal adaptors 30.

In certain embodiments, the finishing system 10 also includes aplurality of trim pieces 40. Likewise, the trim pieces 40 are preferablycomposed of a plastic material, such as polyethylene, polypropylene,polyvinyl chloride, or polystyrene, with a preferred plastic beingpolyvinyl chloride, or could be composed of a metal panel. A plastic isgenerally preferred over a metal to reduce the rate of heat conductionthrough the trim pieces 40.

The primary lineal 20 attaches to the wall 12 in a suitable manner. Incertain embodiments, the primary lineal 20 is attached to the wall 12with suitable fasteners 14; however, in other embodiments, the primarylineal 20 can be affixed to the wall 12 with a suitable adhesivematerial.

The finishing system 10 further includes insulation materials 50 whichwill be generally referred to herein as primary insulation panels 50.

The primary insulation panel 50 may be made of any type of insulation 52known to those of skill in the art, such as, but not limited to,fiberglass insulation, a fiberglass board, rock wool board, or a mineralboard. In certain embodiments, the primary insulation panel 50 is a foamboard or high density fiberglass insulation material that has sufficientstrength and durability. The foam may be formed of extruded polystyrene,molded polystyrene, polyisocyanurate, phenolic foam, polyurethane, orother similar foam insulation products identified by one of skill in theart. In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the primary insulationpanel 50 may include a vapor impermeable surface 54 on one or moresurfaces of the insulation material 52.

It is to be understood that the primary insulation panels can have asuitable R-value, as determined by the geographic location of thebuilding, as further explained below.

In certain embodiments, if a fibrous insulation board is used, a boardthat can be used is a 700 Series glass fiber insulation board availablefrom Owens Corning. In particular, a 703 Series board having a densityof at least about 3 lb/ft³ can be used. Such glass fiber insulationboards are composed of glass fibers having a binder thereon which hasbeen cured to bind the fibers into a matrix. For densities above about2.25 lb/ft³, boards of such bindered glass fibers are relatively rigid,meaning that they generally support their own weight when stood on theirend and do not sag by any significant amount when left in such aposition for a long period of time.

The primary insulation panels 50 may be applied in a step-wise fashionuntil the wall 12 is covered by the primary insulation panels 50, aswill be further explained below.

In certain embodiments, a vapor retarder 60 is positioned near oradjacent to the primary insulation panel 50 after a plurality of theinsulation panel 50 are positioned in the primary insulation cavity 16.The vapor retarder 60 may be a sheet of plastic film (e.g.,polyethylene, nylon, or a rubber membrane (EPDM)) or a foil (e.g.,aluminum foil)) having a low vapor permeance. When installed, as shownFIG. 3, a first portion 62 of the vapor retarder 60 is secured withinthe receiving channel 26 of the lineal adaptor 30, as explained below. Asecond portion 64 is positioned close to, or in certain embodiments,against, the primary insulation panel 50.

The finishing system 10 further includes a plurality of finishinsulation panels 70 having an insulation core 72, and preferably adecorative facing 74 attached to an outer surface of the insulation core72. When installed, the finish insulation panel 70 is located in thesecondary insulation cavity 18.

Also, in certain embodiments, the finish insulation panel 70 istackable, i.e., the finish insulation panel 70 is strong enough to holdthe weight of a picture or other decorative hanging by means of one ormore nails or tacks pushed into the finish insulation panel 70. Itshould be understood, however, that because such boards are often madefrom a resilient melamine foam or a fibrous panel, they have a generallysoft, resilient surface and are relatively acoustically absorptive overa midrange of audible frequencies, i.e., a range including human speech,television programs, etc.

One suitable insulation core 72 may be formed of a fiberglass insulationboard with density between 4.0 lbs/ft³ to 6.0 lbs/ft³, R-value betweenR1 and R7, thickness between ¾″ and 1½″, fiber diameter between 20 and45 hundred thousandths inches (HT), a phenolic or polyacrylic binder ofbetween about 10% and 20% by weight of the insulation board, minimumflexural rigidity of 400 lb/ins and a minimum compressive strength of500 lbs/ft³.

The facing 74 provides aesthetics, abrasion resistance, cleanability,toughness, resiliency, rigidity, and elimination of occupant exposure tothe fiberglass media. The facing 74 can be any type of decorativecovering, such as natural or artificial fiber fabric. A durable fabricfacing 74 is preferred so that, when combined with the insulation core72, it will pass relevant UL flame and smoke spread tests. Preferredfabrics include a fabric sold under the name WEBCORE® by Gencorp, afabric sold under the name JEWEL® by Land Fabrics and a fabric soldunder the name ELGIN® from Guilford. Other alternative coverings includea solid vinyl wallcovering, such a covering in combination with afabric, standard commercial insulation facings, or sprayed-on, dipped,roll-coated, and the like facings. The facing 74 preferably extends overthe front and the top, bottom and side edges of the finish insulationpanel 70, and is fastened to the back of the finish insulation panel 70,such as by stapling, stitching or adhesive (not shown). The facing 74may alternatively extend over the front of the finish insulation panel70 and be fastened to the top, bottom and side edges thereof, or maysimply be adhered over the entire front face of the insulation core 72.

The facing 74 may be adhered to the insulation core 72 either duringfabrication by introducing the facing 74 to the forming section of aglass wool process or prior to curing the glass wool to form a board.Alternatively, the facing 74 may be laminated to the insulation core 72by the use of adhesive after formation of the insulation core 72.

Suitable materials for the facing 74 include, but are not limited topolyester, vinyl, or polyolefin (polyethylene or polypropylene)spunbonded facing with weight between 0.75 oz/yd² and 2.7 oz/yd², havinga machine direction (MD) minimum tensile strength of 10 lbs/in, amachine direction/cross direction (MD/CD) ratio of 2:1 or less, and amaximum air permeability of 1070 (according to the Frazier AirPermeability Test). Higher facing weights are acceptable but may be costprohibitive in general use. Preferably, the facing 74 has a MD tensilestrength of 3.0 lbs/inch (according to TAPPI-494), and a MD/CD tensilestrength ratio of 4:1 or less.

Another suitable facing material is a foil-scrim-kraft (FSK) compositefacing preferably including an aluminum foil of at least 0.0003″thickness, a flame retardant adhesive, reinforcing glass fiber yarns,and at least 20 lb/ream weight kraft paper, a maximum perm rating of0.04, minimum MD tensile strength of 40 lbs/inch, a MD/CD ratio of 3:1,a flame spread rating maximum of 25 and smoke generation of 450 (perASTM-E84 Smoke Generation Test). Still another facing material can beany suitable vinyl media which may replace the foil in the compositefacing.

As best shown in FIG. 2, the primary lineal 20 has a lineal base plate22 which has opposing lineal retaining flanges 22 a and 22 b. The lineal20 also has opposing lineal engaging members 24 and 25 which extend fromthe lineal base plate 22. In certain embodiments, the use of thin linealengaging members 24, 25 additionally helps to reduce the overall crosssectional area of the direct paths of thermal conduction between thewall 12 and the interior of the room, and thus to improve the overall Rvalue of the finished system.

The opposing lineal engaging members 24 and 25 define a receivingchannel 26 for engaging the lineal adaptor 30, as will be furtherexplained below. In certain embodiments, the lineal engaging members 24and 25 allow a releasable engaging connection to be formed between thelineal 20 and the lineal adaptor 30.

In certain embodiments, one or more of the lineal engaging members 24,25 can include one or more inwardly extending detents 28 a, 28 b forsecuring the lineal adaptor 30 in the lineal 20. The lineal base plate22 can include at least one break-away notch 29 that extends along theintersection of the lineal base retaining flange 22 a and the linealengaging member 24. The break-away notch 29 allows the installer toeasily remove the lineal base retaining flange 22 a so that the lineal20 can be installed in a corner or other area such as against a windowor door (not shown).

FIG. 2 also shows the lineal adaptor 30 which has an adaptor base plate32 with opposing adaptor retaining flanges 32 a and 32 b. The linealadaptor 30 also has a connector member 33 which extends from a bottomside of the adaptor base plate 32. The connector member 33 can have anydesired shape so that the connector member 33 can fit within the linealreceiving channel 26. In the embodiment shown, the connector member 33has generally convex walls 33 a and 33 b.

The lineal adaptor 30 also has opposing adaptor engaging members 34 and35 which extend from a top side of the of the adaptor base plate 32. Theopposing adaptor engaging members 34 and 35 define a receiving channel36 for engaging the trim piece 40, as will be explained below. Incertain embodiments, the lineal adaptor engaging members 34 and 35 allowa releasable engaging connection to be formed between the lineal adaptor30 and the trim piece 40.

In certain embodiments, one or more of the adaptor engaging members 34,35 can include one or more inwardly extending detents 38 a, 38 b forsecuring the trim piece 40 to the lineal adaptor 30. The adaptor baseplate 32 can include at least one break-away notch 39 that extends alongthe intersection of the adaptor base retaining flange 32 a and theengaging member 34. The break-away notch 39 allows the installer toeasily remove the adaptor retaining flange 32 a so that the linealadaptor 30 can be installed in a corner or other area such as against awindow or door (not shown).

When the lineal adaptor 30 is added to the lineal 20, the adaptorconnector 33 is positioned in the lineal receiving channel 26 of thelineal 20. In certain embodiments, the adaptor connector 33 snaps into,and/or between, the lineal engaging members 24, 25 such that the adaptorconnector 33 releasably retains the lineal adaptor 30 in engagement withthe lineal 20. For example, the lineal adaptor 30 can be snapped intothe lineal 20 such that, if necessary, the lineal adaptor 30 can beremoved without damage to the lineal 20, the vapor retarder 60 or thelineal adaptor 30 itself. It is to be understood, that in anotherembodiment, the releasable connection between the lineal 20 and thelineal adaptor 30 can be achieved by a fast-release or other type ofconnector.

The trim piece 40 has a trim base plate 42 with opposing trim retainingflanges 42 a and 42 b. The trim piece 40 can have an outer surface 44preferably treated in a manner well-known in the art such that the outersurface 44 presents a decorative finish, such as simulated wood grainfinish.

The trim piece 40 also has a trim connector 43 which extends from abottom of the trim base plate 42. The trim connector 43 can have anydesired shape so that the trim connector member 43 can fit within theadaptor receiving channel 36 of the lineal adaptor 30. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 3, the trim connector 43 has generally convex walls 43 aand 43 b.

In certain embodiments, the lineal adaptor engaging members 34 and 35allow a releasable connection to be formed between the lineal adaptor 30and the trim piece 40.

In general, the trim retaining flanges 42 a and 42 b maintain the finishinsulation panel 70 in the secondary insulation cavity 18 and provide adecorative interface between the adjacent finish insulation panels 70.In certain embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, one type of trim piece 40can be a vertical divider member 40′ which is inserted between adjacentfinish insulation panels 70 and 70′.

During the installation process, the finishing system 10 may beinstalled in a step-wise fashion until the wall 12 is covered. Lineals20 are fixed to the wall 12, thereby forming the primary insulationcavities 16. The primary insulation panels 50 are positioned in theprimary insulation cavities 16. In certain installations, a temporaryclip, such as a scrap part of a lineal adaptor and/or trim piece, can beused to hold the primary insulation panel 50 within the primaryinsulation cavity 16 during the sequential installation of the rest ofthe primary insulation panels 50.

As shown in FIG. 3, each lineal adaptor flange 32 a and 32 b extendsoutwardly such that, when the finishing system 10 is assembled, theprimary insulation panel 50 is located within the primary insulationcavity 16. Thus, the base plate 32, and its flanges 32 a, 32 b, on thelineal adaptor 30, holds (or retains) the primary insulation panel 50within the primary insulation cavity 16.

The vapor retarder 60 is placed over the primary insulation panel 50 andthe lineal 20. In certain embodiments, the vapor retarder 60 is at leastslightly stretched during the installation process. In a similar manner,to that explained above with respect to the primary insulation panels50, the vapor retarder 60 can be held in place by the temporaryclip/scrap section while the rest of the vapor retarder 60 is installed.

The lineal adaptors 30 are then added to the lineals 20 such that theadaptor connector 33 on the lineal adaptors 30 pushes or inserts thefirst portion 62 of the vapor retarder 60 into the receiving channel 26of the lineal 20, as best seen in FIG. 3.

The finish insulation panels 70 are placed into the insulation cavities18. In a similar manner, a part of a lineal adaptor and/or trim piececan be used to hold the secondary insulation panel 70 within thesecondary insulation cavity 18 during the sequential installation of therest of the finish insulation panels 70. The trim pieces 40 are thenattached to the lineal adaptors 30 to complete the finishing system 10.

The lineal adaptors 30 allow the vapor retarder 60 to be easily removedwithout damage, if necessary, by unsnapping the lineal adaptor 30 fromthe primary lineal 20. This provides a great improvement over the priormethods for attaching the vapor retarders. Often, in the past, the vaporretarders were stapled to the wood studs during the initial installationprocess. If there was any need for inspection or repair work, the vaporretarder was unstapled, often causing damage. If there was a need toreplace the vapor retarder itself, there was also damage caused to theadjoining building structures. The lineal adaptors 30 described hereinand their use in the insulation system described herein thus provideimportant advantages over the prior systems.

In certain embodiments, the primary insulation panel 50 has a firstthickness and the finish insulation panel 70 has a second, differentthickness. It is to be understood that the R-values of the primaryinsulation panel 50 may be determined for a particular geographicregion. For example, as fully described in the co-pending Hettler et al.US Pub. No. 2005/0150183 A1, which has been fully incorporated herein byreference, to reduce condensation, the primary insulation panel 50 has adesired R-value so that its temperature remains above the interior dewpoint in the winter and above the outside dew point temperature in thesummer. Preferably, the R-value of the primary insulation panel 50 isdetermined so that the vapor retarder temperature is above the interiordew point in the summer and above the outside dew point temperature inthe winter for the entire year. In some geographic locations, the amountR-value of the primary insulation panel 50 may result in a small amountof condensation within the insulation system at some point during theyear. By determining the most efficient R-value for the primaryinsulation panel 50 within the insulation system such that the amount oftime that the temperature of the vapor retarder is below the dew pointtemperature is reduced, the amount of condensation will also be reduced.

It should be noted that, because the adaptor retaining base plate 32extends across a portion of the primary insulation panel 50, there is arelatively large margin of error available to an installer with respectto the proper sizing of the primary insulation panels 50 and theplacement of the primary lineals 20. In other words, as shown in FIG. 3,there can be a gap 58 between one end 56 of the primary insulation panel50 and the lineal engaging member 24. Thus, the finishing system 10 willstill have an attractive appearance because the gap 58 will be hidden.This feature of the finishing system 10 allows the installer to spendless time very carefully measuring where to attach each primary lineal20 or where to cut the primary insulation panel 50 to fit it intoodd-sized cavities, with little appreciable reduction of overall thermalperformance.

Each trim piece flange 42 a and 42 b extends outwardly such that, whenthe finishing system 10 is assembled, the finish insulation panel 70 islocated within the secondary insulation cavity 18. Thus, the trim baseplate 42, and its flanges 42 a, 42 b, on the trim piece 40 holds, orretains, the finish insulation panel 70 within the secondary insulationcavity 18.

It should also be noted that, because the trim base plate 42 extendsacross a portion of the finish insulation panel 70, there is arelatively large margin of error available to an installer with respectto the proper sizing of the finish insulation panels 70. In other words,as shown in FIG. 3, there can be a gap 78 between one end 76 of thesecondary insulation panel 70 and the lineal adaptor engaging member 34.Thus, the finishing system 10 will still have an attractive appearancebecause the gap 78 will be hidden. This feature of the finishing system10 allows the installer to spend less time very carefully measuringwhere to cut the secondary insulation panel 70 to fit it into odd-sizedcavities, with little appreciable reduction of overall thermalperformance.

In certain embodiments, the lineal adaptors 30 can include a first setand a second set of lineal adaptors. In such embodiments, the first setof lineal adaptors is configured to be connected to the second set oflineal adaptors. The first and second sets of lineal adaptors createthird insulation cavities (not shown) which can hold another layer ofinsulation panels.

Further, while the lineal and lineal adaptors are generally shown hereinas having base plates where the flanges (and in the case of the linealadaptors, the connector) substantially continuously extend along theentire base plate, it is to be understood, that in certain embodiments,the lineals and/or lineal adaptors can have flanges and/or connectorswhich are not coterminous in length with the whole lineal or linealadaptor. Such embodiments can be used in certain installations whilestill achieving the desired advantages of the present invention.

The advantages of the present invention are readily evident. The presentinvention provides thermal insulation benefits in a room finishingsystem. In addition, the finishing system of the present invention isvery easy to install and allows for a relatively large margin of erroron the part of the installer. These features make it possible for theinstaller to reduce the labor time and costs considerably.

The present invention additionally can be advantageous for the buildersand owners of new homes. Since the finishing system is nondestructivelymodular, i.e., because it includes modular panels that can be removedand replaced very quickly and easily in a nondestructive manner, thebuilder of a new home can finish a room using the present inventionwithout fear of greatly aggravated costs in the event of a foundationcrack or leak.

Although the preferred panels of the present invention are rigid, asdefined, they are formed of materials that are soft, resilient andrelatively acoustically absorptive of a midrange of audible frequencies.These features can provide a potentially safer playroom area forchildren, as well as a more acoustically desirable environment. Theresiliency of the insulation panels allows the system to be placeddirectly over existing wires and other small obstacles, because thepanels can conform to a certain extent to the wall surface they abut.

In addition, the resiliency and acoustical absorptiveness of theinsulation panels makes the finishing system of the present inventionparticularly suitable for finishing of such commercial rooms andceilings as gymnasiums, classrooms and day cares.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferredembodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in the art thatvarious changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted forelements thereof without departing from the essential scope of theinvention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt aparticular situation or panel to the teachings of the invention withoutdeparting from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intendedthat the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosedas the best mode contemplated for carrying out this invention, but thatthe invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope ofthe claims.

1. An insulation system comprising: a plurality of primary linealsconfigured to be fixed to a building structure to create primaryinsulation cavities; primary insulation panels suitable for beingpositioned within the primary insulation cavities; a plurality of linealadaptors configured to be added to the primary lineals, the linealadaptors configured to create secondary insulation cavities; and, finishinsulation panels suitable for being positioned within the secondaryinsulation cavities.
 2. The insulation system of claim 1, wherein thelineal adaptor is configured to be releasably connected to the primarylineal.
 3. The insulation system of claim 1, further including a vaporretarder between the primary insulation panel and the finish insulationpanel.
 4. The insulation system of claim 3, wherein the lineal adaptoris configured to releasably secure the vapor retarder close to theprimary lineal.
 5. The insulation system of claim 4, wherein the linealadaptor includes at least one retaining flange configured to retain theprimary insulation panel within the primary insulation cavity.
 6. Theinsulation system of claim 1, further including a plurality of trimpieces configured to be releasably secured to the lineal adaptors. 7.The insulation system of claim 1, wherein the lineal adaptors include afirst set and a second set of lineal adaptors, wherein the first set oflineal adaptors is configured to be connected to the second set oflineal adaptors, and wherein the first and second sets of linealadaptors create third insulation cavities, the third insulation cavitiesbeing configured to receive further insulation panels.
 8. The insulationsystem of claim 1, wherein the primary insulation panel has a firstthickness and the finish insulation panel has a second, differentthickness.
 9. An insulation system comprising: a plurality of primarylineals configured to be fixed to a building structure to create primaryinsulation cavities; primary insulation panels positioned within theprimary insulation cavities; a plurality of lineal adaptors configuredto be added to the primary lineals, the lineal adaptors configured tocreate secondary insulation cavities; finish insulation panelspositioned within the secondary insulation cavities; a vapor retarderpositioned between the primary insulation panels and the finishinsulation panels; wherein at least a portion of the vapor retarder ispositioned between the lineals and the lineal adaptors; and, a pluralityof trim pieces configured to be added to the lineal adaptors.
 10. Theinsulation system of claim 9, wherein the lineal adaptors are configuredto releasably secure the vapor retarder against the primary insulationpanels.
 11. A lineal adaptor for connecting a lineal to a trim piece inan insulation system, the lineal adaptor comprising: an adaptor baseplate having one or more retaining flanges, one or more engaging memberswhich extend from a top side of the adaptor base plate, the engagingmembers configured for securing the trim piece to the lineal adaptor;and, an adaptor connector member which extends from a bottom side of theadaptor base plate, the adaptor connector member configured for securingthe lineal adaptor to the lineal.
 12. The lineal adaptor of claim 11,wherein the adaptor connector is configured to releasably retain thelineal adaptor in engagement with the lineal.
 13. The lineal adaptor ofclaim 11, wherein the adaptor engaging members comprise opposing wallswhich define a channel which is configured to engage the trim piece. 14.The lineal adaptor of claim 11, wherein the adaptor engaging membersinclude one or more inwardly extending detents configured for securingthe trim piece to the lineal adaptor.
 15. The lineal adaptor of claim11, wherein the adaptor base plate includes at least one break-awaynotch that extends along an intersection one or more of the adaptor baseretaining flanges and the engaging member.
 16. The lineal adaptor ofclaim 11, wherein one or more of the engaging members and connectormembers extend among substantially the length of the lineal adaptor 17.A method of finishing a building structure which includes the steps of:attaching a plurality of primary lineals to the building structure tocreate primary insulation cavities; positioning insulation panels withinthe primary insulation cavities; adding lineal adapters to the primarylineals to create secondary insulation cavities, positioning finishinsulation panels within the secondary insulation cavities; and,connecting trim pieces to the lineal adaptors.
 18. The method of claim17, further including placing a vapor retarder between the primaryinsulation panels and the finish insulation panels.
 19. The method ofclaim 17, including releasably connecting the lineal adaptors to theprimary lineals.
 20. A method of finishing a building structure whichincludes the steps of: attaching a plurality of primary lineals to thebuilding structure to create primary insulation cavities; positioninginsulation panels within the primary insulation cavities; placing avapor retarder close to the primary insulation panels; adding linealadapters to the primary lineals to create secondary insulation cavitiesand to secure portions of the vapor retarder to the primary lineals,positioning finish insulation panels within secondary insulationcavities; and, attaching a plurality of trim pieces to the linealadaptors.